Welcome to the second edition of the Board of Directors Spotlight Series! Orr Fellowship’s Board Members care deeply about the city of Indianapolis and the professional and personal development of young professionals. The Board Members are from a wide range of industries and backgrounds, which provides invaluable insight to Orr Fellows. Orr Fellowship is incredibly grateful for the influence and passion the Board Members bring to the fellowship and the greater community of Indianapolis.
Follow along as we introduce our next handful of board members: Eric Goodman, Mike Reynolds, Sid Bose, Tiffany Sauder, and Maggie Williams.
Eric Goodman, General Counsel and VP at High Alpha
Where do you currently work? What is your area of expertise?
I am currently General Counsel and VP for High Alpha which is a venture studio located in Indianapolis, IN. Before that, I was a partner at Ice Miller LLP where I focused on early-stage companies, M&A and leveraged finance. My focus over the last 10+ years has been helping software companies raise capital and setting up world class companies. I work with our Studio companies as we go to launch them out of Studio and also sit on our Investment Committee for our Fund where we screen and monitor investments in Studio and non-Studio companies.
What initially attracted you to Orr Fellowship and being involved as a Board Member? What has motivated you to stay connected to the organization?
I was originally introduced to Orr Fellowship through another nonprofit board I sat on, TechPoint Foundation for Youth. At the time, we had Orr Fellows that co-chaired each committee of that board and so I worked with some of the original Orr Fellows through that. Coincidentally, one of the original board members for Orr was a colleague of mine at Ice Miller who nominated me to replace her on the Orr Board when she rolled off. It is a well-known adage that all boards require a token lawyer and I was that token-lawyer!
My theory on community involvement has always been to leverage that time as effectively as you can so I always looked for opportunities that were tech-related given that was the professional area I focused on as well. As I was wrapping up my time with TechPoint Foundation, the opportunity to join the Orr Board presented itself to me and I happily accepted given the overlap with my area of focus.
What has motivated me to stay involved with Orr is that it is the best organization to actually effect change in the Indianapolis technology community. Given the way the program works, the cumulative impact of the number of Orr Fellows we have added to the Indy area is significant and we are helping identify and grow the future leaders of Indianapolis.
What is one post-grad decision or experience that you wish you could have a “do-over” on? How would you approach it differently?
When I was in college I was so focused on getting out of Indiana. I wanted to live out in the mountains and swore I would never live in Indy. So I spent a lot of time and effort trying to get out of here only to land right back here. This is partly due to timing and partly due to opportunity but at this point it feels like a lot of wasted effort. This isn’t something I’d really do over because I landed in the right spot, but I probably would have taken a more disciplined approach to selecting where I wanted to build my post-grad career by figuring out what I wanted to do and then figuring out where was the best place to do that.
Do you have any passion projects you’re currently working on? What fills your cup outside of work?
Right now, I am focused on family. I have a 9 year-old daughter and a 4 year-old son so I am trying to be present and available for them as much as possible. They are just starting to find out what they are interested in so we are trying to support them as they figure out who they are.
What has been the most meaningful piece of advice you have ever received?
Never ask someone to do something you are not willing to do yourself. The most effective leaders are the ones who are in the trenches with their teams doing the dirty work.
Mike Reynolds, Founder and CEO at InnovateMap
Where do you currently work? What is your area of expertise?
I’m CEO at Innovatemap, which I founded in 2014 with a mission to help leaders build the product vision they believe in. Since then, I’m happy to say that Innovatemap has helped more than 300 clients build, launch and scale digital products. I’ve been in product for more than 25 years, but specifically, my background is in product management, product marketing and user experience.
What initially attracted you to Orr Fellowship and being involved as a Board Member? What has motivated you to stay connected to the organization?
When I was initially approached for the position, I was energized by the perspective they wanted from me. At the time, Orr’s board was made up of mostly Orr alumni or representatives from large companies. Orr’s board needed a non-biased and small business perspective, which they admitted was a weakness, and I wanted to directly impact that. Then personally, I was excited about the other board members who I’d be working with. They were some of the people in town that I respected the most, and I wanted to learn from them through this shared venture.
There have of course been some benefits to not only being a board member, but a partner company as well. I see Orr Fellowship as a young talent pipeline for Innovatemap and we’ve experienced tremendous success with our Fellows. They’re learning outside of our walls in addition to what they learn on the job, so they show up stronger than other talent in the market.
I was also excited about the opportunity that the Orr network had for Innovatemap, and vice versa. It’s been important for us to be represented well within Orr itself, because as a professional services company, we find ourselves working with Orr alumni 5-10 years down the road. For Innovatemap, being connected to Orr equals a brand touchpoint with future leaders. On the flip side, I’ve been more than happy to introduce some of our clients, who Orr may have never heard of, to becoming Orr partner companies.
What is one post-grad decision or experience that you wish you could have a “do-over” on? How would you approach it differently?
When I was looking for my first job out of school, it was all about working for a big company and getting the highest salary, and I’m still seeing some of that today. Many people are built for bigger companies, but I quickly realized that I wasn’t. I ended up finding more fulfillment in my next job at a smaller company. From what I’ve learned throughout my career about who I am and what I want professionally, I wish I would’ve been more open-minded and explored some smaller companies outside of the ones everyone would gravitate toward at our college career fairs.
Do you have any passion projects you’re currently working on? What fills your cup outside of work?
Not equally of course, but I’d say the two biggest things that give me life are my family and my love of sports.
Everything I’ve done with Innovatemap has always been with my family in mind. Relationships and hospitality have been central to the company, and that’s on purpose. In the work I do and how I treat people, especially our clients and our team members, I try to be a good example for my kids. I think I get that from my own upbringing, as my parents would always make it a point to treat people well.
Outside of work, I’m a huge sports guy, as both a fan and a coach. Most of our five kids played a sport, and my wife and I, despite the busyness of work, have always made it a point to be our kids’ biggest fans. On top of supporting our own kids, my love of sports contributed to me being a baseball and basketball coach for 16 years. Between playing, coaching and cheering on my kids, I spend a lot of my free time at some sort of sports arena. In addition to serving on the Orr Board, I’ve also been a part of my church’s athletic board.
Needless to say, family and sports are what motivate me!
What has been the most meaningful piece of advice you have ever received?
I’ll always say to treat people well, no matter who they are. Beyond that, I would encourage young professionals to accept the fact that they’ll be “professionally dating” for at least the first 10 or so years of their career. That impacted me quite a bit, especially considering I didn’t start Innovatemap until well into my career.
Your first role out of school may not be glamorous or your dream job, but at this stage, you’re getting experiences that help you form what you want to do in your life. Even if you think you do, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll have it all figured out by the time you graduate from college, and that’s okay. Right now, especially in this economic climate, it’s better to focus on adding value in any way you can for the business. Whether it’s immediate or later on, there’s a good chance you’ll receive value in return.
Sid Bose, Attorney at Ice Miller
Where do you currently work? What is your area of expertise?
I’m an attorney at Ice Miller. I lead the Tech, Privacy and Cyber Risk Practice. My background in IT led me down this path, and now I work with clients on any and all tech-related matters. I like to think of myself as the bridge between the law and technology.
What initially attracted you to Orr Fellowship and being involved as a Board Member? What has motivated you to stay connected to the organization?
I’ve always wanted to find meaningful opportunities to help give back and make things better. I know many of my successes have been because of the investment from mentors and sponsors throughout my life. I see Orr as being a great platform to do the exact same – to invest and give young, brilliant individuals great opportunities and help them make the most of it.
What is one post-grad decision or experience that you wish you could have a “do-over” on? How would you approach it differently?
This is hard. I can’t say I’d like a “do-over” because everything I’ve done has gotten me here. If I have to offer advice, it is to be patient and take your own time.
Do you have any passion projects you’re currently working on? What fills your cup outside of work?
I’m on the board of another non-profit in the southside of Indy. It provides education, health, and well-being services for the underserved. (Again, vested in the idea of making things better.) To that end, I have a call to all Fellows: consider working with nonprofits. They are so grateful for any support and you’ll be surprised how much of a difference you can make!
What has been the most meaningful piece of advice you have ever received?
There’s never been a single mantra for me. So, I guess the answer is simply this: seek out as many mentorship and sponsorship sources as you can. They will all have differing perspectives that will change your own outlook!
Tiffany Sauder, CEO of Element 3
Where do you currently work and what is your area of expertise?
I am the CEO of Element 3. I am a podcast host for Scared Confident and I am actively serving on three boards. My area of expertise is building culture, building brands, and assembling teams that have the charge of growth inside of a business.
What initially attracted you to the Orr Fellowship and being involved as a board member? What has motivated you to stay connected in the organization?
I am coming up on the conclusion of my sixth year on the board. I was really excited when they knocked on my door to consider joining the Orr Fellowship board. The Orr Fellowship to me has always represented a high standard of intelligence, of a drive for excellence. To me, that’s what the Orr Fellowship has always been about. As a leader, I want my company to be associated with that. I want the ability to have access to talent that is excited about Central Indiana, that is excited about entrepreneurship, that is excited about taking risks – all of those things are really exciting to me as an employer. So being able to shape really what was the next stage of the Orr Fellowship’s growth where I came in on the board, has been really satisfying to put new leadership in place, to professionalize the board and the organization just a little bit, has really been an exciting part of my career and I’m grateful that I’ve been able to serve the organization in this capacity for almost six years.
What is one post-grad decision or experience that you wish you could have a do over on? How would you approach it differently?
I think the biggest mistake that I made in my leadership tenure at Element 3 is that I underestimated the importance of having a really strong operating partner to come alongside me. I’m really a sales and marketing leader. I’m really good at opening up markets. I’m really good at getting people excited. I’m really good at finding demand. But building the organization’s infrastructure for scale is not something that I am excellent at, and I wish I would have understood that earlier in our journey as a company and my journey as a leader and found that partner earlier. I think that we would be further along, and I could have saved us a lot of heartache if I would have understood that better at an earlier stage in our journey.
Do you have any passion projects you’re currently working on? What fills your cup outside of work?
I’m passionate about a lot of things. I think until I die, I will be testing products and ideas and being entrepreneurial. I think it’s in my DNA, and I love it. I’m very excited right now about a digital course I’m working on focused on supporting dual-career families. It’s called Own the Ordinary. When you’re in a two-career home, there’s a lot of pressure on communication and organization, and if you’re not careful, the most ordinary things can become what dominates your relationship, your household, the things you talk about: laundry, food, keeping the house clean, logistics with kids, etc.
My husband and I have worked really hard over the last five years or so to streamline the ordinary so that we have time for the extraordinary. Some of it’s strategically outsourcing, some of it’s just getting really clear agreements in place or sharing the workload across the family. I’m really passionate about this growing segment of the world of two-career families. It’s amazing how much opportunity exists for women today, but there is a real consequence inside of our families that I think we have to be thoughtful about and be prepared so that these opportunities are not stealing from us – the intimacy that we desire in our relationships, the cohesiveness that we want in our homes, the order and peace that we want in the place that we individually call home.
I’m really passionate about taking my learned wisdom, my learned experience in almost 20 years of marriage and 15 years of being a mom – to help other women who are on this same path. 100% of my professional life has been in a dual-career home, and I really had to crowdsource that knowledge for myself. I want to create a tool that helps 2-career homes norm more quickly into a peaceful, sustainable existence.
What fills my cup outside of work?
I love being a mom as much as I love being a CEO. Maybe I should say I love it more – I don’t know. I love my kids so much. They give me a ton of energy and certainly fill my cup as well.
What has been the most meaningful piece of advice you have ever received?
I don’t know if this is the most meaningful, but the thing that came to mind as someone who led very young – I was 25 when I started Element 3 – I felt this pressure to be very competent and capable and to demonstrate that I knew a lot of things. I am a natural externalizer, and I love to talk. One of my mentors taught me that you reveal what you know by the questions you ask,not by the statements you make. That piece of advice I would say has informed almost every area of my life and the way that I view things and think about them. It’s not just to ask questions so that people think I’m smart, but it has helped me interview better: If someone is not asking you good questions about something, it probably means they have a very shallow understanding of the topic. It’s also informed the way I show up, the way that I assess talent, and the kinds of people that I bring really close into my life and into my inner sphere of influence. I think it is a really, really powerful framing, especially for a young, excited and eager professional.
Maggie Williams, Senior Manager of Professional Services at Jobvite
Where do you currently work and what is your area of expertise?
I currently work at Jobvite, which is an applicant tracking software company. My area of expertise is delivery management. I lead the Center of Excellence and Managed Service delivery teams, who fulfill consulting and system administration recurring services engagements for our customers. Prior to leading these Professional Services teams, I led the SMB & MidMarket implementation team at Jobvite.
What initially attracted you to the Orr Fellowship and being involved as a board member? What has motivated you to stay connected in the organization?
As a college senior I was not pursuing or looking at any Indianapolis based job opportunities. When I was first recruited for Orr I didn’t seriously consider the opportunity. The more I connected with current fellows and learned about the program, the more appealing it became. I was most attracted to the community. I had been incredibly involved on my campus, and the thought of leaving all the teams, clubs, and groups I’d spent the last 4 years with seemed both sad and so very overwhelming. I also was attracted to how competitive the program was.
What is one post-grad decision or experience that you wish you could have a do over on? How would you approach it differently?
This is a great question, but also really hard to answer. Perhaps this will sound like a copout, but I’m not sure there is anything I wish I had the opportunity to do-over. I am grateful for all my experiences post-grad, even the ones that were overwhelming, challenging and didn’t go my way or how I planned. I am also deeply satisfied and fulfilled with my life right now, and believe that every experience has led me to where I am today. If anything, I’d say I wish I stressed less about trying to figure out my exact career path. I spent a lot of time focused on trying to sketch out & define exactly what my career path was going to look like: should I go to grad school, do I need XYZ certification, what’s the exact job I want, blah blah boah. When in reality, my career has been a series of stepping stones, natural pivots and opportunities based on the professional network and relationships I’ve built. Now when people ask me my dream job & career goals I answer: I’d like to spend my days problem solving alongside a team who is all charging towards the same end goal. It’s as simple as that for me.
Do you have any passion projects you’re currently working on? What fills your cup outside of work?
I am not a side hustle kind of gal. When people ask me about my hobbies/interests, my answer is always that I enjoy hosting and friendly competition! So, you can catch me having an autumnal dinner party, a holiday potluck, game night, etc. I love the opportunity to bring my favorite people together with good food, fun, and delightful conversation. I like to spend my free time outside of work hanging with my boys – my husband & my 8 month old son. I wish I could still call myself an avid reader … hoping to read some books this winter.
What has been the most meaningful piece of advice you have ever received?
Most meaningful piece of professional advice I have ever received is to think about your job in 2 categories: 1) things you have control over and 2) things you have influence over. And to not underestimate the power of influence.
Most meaningful piece of personal advice I have ever received is that the world isn’t going to include you, so you might as well include yourself.
In case you missed it, check out the first edition of the Board Member Spotlight Series here!
